Sewing-machine



(NoModeL) 3 Sheet-Shet 1.. R. S. LOCKER.

. SEWING, MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 21, 1886.

fie Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheef. 1

R. S. LOCKER.

SEWING MACHINE. No. 349,488. Patented Sept. 21, 1886.

W64? 86 liemr:

Rob A .ZooYwr:

- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Modl.)

R. S. LOOKER.

SEWING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 21, 1886..

v No. 349,438.

Q mm 2".- /flanker.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFIC ROBERT SMITH LOOKER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

SEWING-MACHINE.

QPECEFICATIONior-ming part of Letters Patent No. 349,438, dated September 21, 1886,

Application filed December 7, 1883. Serial No. 113,841. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT SMITH LOOKER, of Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Sewing-machines are commonly constructed with a bed-plate or cloth-support containing the feed mechanism, and with an arm or standard overhanging the bed and provided at one end with a head to sustain and guide the needle-bar and the presser-foot bar, both of which are arranged to reciprocate vertically to a limited extent.

The construction and arrangement of parts are such that-access to the needle and to the feed and shuttle mechanisms is inconvenient, and that difficulty is experienced in introducing heavy fabrics or thick bodies below the needle and presser-foot.

It is the principal aim of my invention to afford increased space for theintroduction and removal of the work,'to give better and more convenient access to the feed and shuttle devices, and to provide for the instantaneous presentation of the needle-bar and presserfoot bar in such position that the needle inay be inspected and handled and the presser-foot adjusted or provided with the attachments with facility and dispatch. An important feature of the invention in this regard lies in a construction which affords the advantages named in connection with machines having the so-calle( closed heads with the driving-shaft within the arm, this being the type of machine generally demanded and used at the present day...

It is a further aim of my invention to secure the needle-bar-driving shaft at will against rotation, to prevent the needle from being moved at improper times or by improper persons, and also to prevent the liability of injury to the parts connecting the shaft and needlc-bar, which frequently happens when the needle-bar islocked and the shaft left free.

It is a further aim of myinvention to provide for connecting and disconnecting the needle and shuttle driving devices at will, so that in the event of the parts being obstructed or disarranged, as frequently happens when the shuttle is adjacent to the needle, the shuttle and its driver may be moved away from the needle while the latter is at rest, thus permitting the parts to be readjusted without trouble and without the injuries which often attend the usual permanent connection of the parts. With the above objects in view, the first part of the invention relates to the overhanging arm, universally known in the trade as the arm of the machine, and to its end in which the reciprocating bars are mounted, this end being usually cast integral with the arm,and designated the head or head of the arm. In carrying my invention into practice I divide the arm at any suitable point in its length, and swivel or journal the two parts together in such manner that the entire head, or the part having the head thereon, may be turned upward from its operative position, so as to present the needle-bar and presser-foot bar in a horizontal, upright, or other desired position, with their ends exposed and accessible, and so, also, as to afford increased space between the head and the bedplate, and present the head in position to admit of its parts being conveniently separated or cleaned. I prefer to divide the arm close to the head and to connect them by a horizontal journal fitting within a sleeve or socket so that the entire head,with all the parts therebn, may make an entire revolution in a vertical plane. Looking devices are provided to hold the head in its operative and inoperative po sitions, and in closed-head machines the needle-operating shaft is extended through the journal, so that the head may revolve around the shaft without disturbing the usual slot-and gran connection between the shaft and needlear.

The second feature of the invention consists in combining with the needle-bar-operatin shaft a setscrew or like fastening device, by which it may be locked against rotation, so as to hold the needle up to prevent breakage when the head is rotated, or to hold it down that it may not be accidentally bent or broken when the machine is idle. I am aware that latches have been provided to lock the needlebar up by direct engagement therewith; but this plan is objectionable, in that the shaft is left free and that the careless application of power thereto is liable to break or injure the connections and impair the action of the parts. The third part of the invention resides in the use of a clutch, or any known equivalent therefor, so applied as to connect the needle and shuttle mechanisms and allow them to be instantly disconnected. In machines now known in the art this cannot be done, and consequently the needle is often injured in attempting to set the parts free when entangled with the thread. My improvement permits the shuttle to be moved forward or backward while the needle remains in the fabric.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine having my various improvements embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the lower end of the arm being shown in vertical section to expose the clutch mechanism by which the shuttledriving devices are disconnected, and also the screw for locking the shaft against rotation. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical central sections through the end of the arm and the rotary head thereon, the latter showing the parts in modified form.

A represents the bed or cloth plate of the machine, B the overhanging arm or standard, and C the head, in which the vertical needle-bar G and prcsser-foot bar H are mounted.

D represents the horizontal main shaft extending through the arm from end to end, provided at the rear end with a driving-wheel, E, and at the forward end, within the head, with a disk carrying a erank-pin, f, which acts in a transversely-slotted yoke, f], secured to the needle-bar, for the purpose of imparting to the latter its vertical reciprocation.

Instead of constructing the arm in one continuous piece and the head integral therewith, as usual, I divide .the arm transversely in rear of the head, providing the latter with a tubular sleeve or hub, 0 which is fitted over and around a tenon or journal, B, formed on the end of the arm. This construction, which is plainly represented in the several figures, permits the entire head and all the parts thereon to be revolved in a vertical plane, so as to present the needle and presser-.

foot bars in a horizontal position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or in any other position which circumstances may demand. The journal and sleeve form a simpleand durable connection by which the head is maintained in position without interfering with the construction and arrangement of the usual parts. It will be observed that the journal is located behind or in rear of the head proper, so that it in no way obstructs or interferes with the internal space or chamber in the head, which is left in condition to receivethe needle and pressure bars, the take-up and tension devices, and such other parts as are commonly located therein. Of course the journal D may be formed upon the head, and the hub or sleeve 0 formed upon the arm, if preferred, this re versal of parts making no change in their action.

In connection with the rotary head I propose to employ locking devices of any suitable character, by which it may be locked in its normal or operative position, and also be locked in such other positions as may be best adapted to permit the examination or adj ustment of the needle, presser-foot, or other parts to which access is desired.

I recommend, as a simple means of locking the head against rotation, a spring, I, having at one end a pin, 0 extended through the sleeve and adapted to engage a hole or notch in the journal B. This spring serves not only as alocking device, but also as an automatic stop to arrest the motion of the head when it is returned to its operative position.

As a convenient means of lifting the spring to disengage its locking-pin, I mount loosely around the sleeve or hub of the head a sleeve or collar, 0 having on one side a flattened surface, so that when this surface is brought beneath the spring I the latter may descend. The collar 0 is provided with a transverse slot, through which the locking-pin passes, so that the collar may be rotated independently. WVhen thus rotated,its flattened portion iscai. ried from under the spring, which rides upon and is lifted by the peripheral portion of the collar, the effect being to disengage the locking-pin and to hold the same out of engagement.

As a means of insuring the depression of the spring I, and the engagement of its locking-pin when the parts are returned to their normal positions, I fix upon the collar 0 an arm or rider, 0 which acts on top of the spring I to force thesame downward.

In addition to or in place of the spring-lock- I ing device, I propose to use a clamping-screw passing through the sleeve of the head and engaging upon or against the journal B. This screw will also be passed through the collar 0 when the latter is employed, as shown in Fig. 3, in which case it will serve not only to secure the head against rotation, but also to lock the collar It will be understood that the collar 0 is used merely as a means of unlocking the spring I, and that when the latter is omitted the collar will also be dispensed with.

It is to be noted as an essential feature of my invention that'the entire head'of the arm is free to revolve, so that a clear and unobstructed space may be afforded thereunder; also,that the needle-driving shaft D is extended through the arm and through the journal on which the head revolves, thus permitting the use of the closed head and its rotation without disconnecting the needle-bar from the operating devices.

length in a vertical than ina horizontal direc-. tion when the head is' stationary, and it is found difficult to gain access to the detachable parts and difficult to hold the several parts in position during their removal or readjustment. By turning the head to a horizontal position I avoid much of the diificulty commonly experienced in this regard. The journal 13' may be of any appropriate length and size, and may be extended entirely through the sleeve into the head, as shown in Fig. 4, or made of less length than the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 3.

The essence of the invention resides in connecting the head and the arm by a journal or swiveling connection, and it is manifest that the form and arrangement of the parts may be modified as the skill of the mechanic may dietate, provided they retain a mode of operation substantially such as herein described.

Passing, now,-to the locking of the needleshaft, attention is directed to Figs. 1 and 2, in which R represents a vertical thumb-screw tapped through the top of the arm, and bearing at its lower end on the periphery of a collar, p fixed immovably upon the needleshaft. The head of the screw projects outside of the arm, so that it may be readily operated by the attendant. When turned downward,its inner end acts firmly against the collar, and thus locks the needle-shaft against rotation,

holding the needle in any position in which it may have been previously placed. When the machine is idle, the needle should be de pressed andlocked down; but if the head is to be revolved the needle should previously be locked up, in order that the point of the needle may not encounter the bed-plate and be broken thereby.

Referring next to the needle and shuttle driving mechanism, M represents an eccentric mounted 011 the needle-driving shaft D, and arranged to actuate the levers N and O, which extend downward below the bed-plate to impart motion to the shuttle-driverandthe feed mechanisms. These levers and the eccentric by which they are operated may be of any ordinary or approved form, as they constitute no part of my invention. Instead of securing the eccentric immovabl y upon the shaft, as usual, I mount the same loosely thereon.

In order to communicate motion from the shaft to the eccentric M when the feed and shuttle devices are to be operated, I extend a sliding pin, p, through the collar 19*, in position to entera hole in the side of the eccentric M. In order that the operator may adjust this pin at will to connect and disconnect the eccentric, I secure one end of the pin to a collar, P, mounted loosely on the shaft and encircled by a ring or collar, p, seated in a peripheral groove and provided with a stud, P, which extends through a horizontal slot to the outside of the arm in position to be conveniently moved by the operator, as shown in Fig. 1. When the arm 1? is moved to. the

there is but a single hole in the eccentric M to receive the clutch-pin, and that consequently the operator, in connecting the parts,

is enabled to bring the needle and shuttle. in-

stantly to their proper relative positions and prevent it from connecting them in any other position. This is an important feature, in that it enables the unskilled operator to bring the parts into the precise relations demanded.

For the purposes in view it is not absolutely necessary that the feed mechanism shall be disconnected or free to move independently of o 7 the needle; but as the feed and shuttle are commonly operated by a single eccentric it is found more convenient to throw them both out of connection.

While I recommend the pin as a simple connecting device, any equivalent clutching mechanism familiar to the skilled mechanic may be substituted therefor, the essence of my invention consisting in the use of means by which the shuttle mechanism may be disconnected at will from the needle mechanism, regardless of the peculiar details employed. I

I am aware thatit has been proposed to provide a sewing-machine in which the needleoperating shaft is located in hearings on the outside of the arm and connected by a pitnian to the needle-bar with a plate sustaining the needle-bar and pressure-bar, and united to the head below the level of the arm proper by a horizontal through-bolt. I believe myself to be the first to divide the arm proper and connect the two parts by ajournal in such manner that the entire head may revolve; the first to swivel orjournal the head in such manner that it may make an entire revolution in a vertical plane; the first to provide the head with a swiveling joint located wholly on therear side, so as to permit the use of a hollow or closed head with an unobstructed interior; the first to combine a rotary head carrying the needlebar wit-l1 devices by which it may be locked fast with the needle presented toward the operator; the first to provide a rotary head with a spring-locking device, and the first to ar range the head to revolve-around the needle shaft, or an axis concentric or substantially concentric therewith.

I am also aware that the cranked wheel for operating the needle-bar has been secured to its shaft by a binding-screw to admitofits rotary adjustment in order to bring the shuttle in the required relation to the needle when assembling the-parts of the machine, and this I do not claim; but I believe myself to be the chines a brake mechanism acting on the main wheel has been combined with movable clamps, by which the cloth was guided in such manner as to check the motion of the wheel automatically when the needle reached the end of the button-hole. I am also aware that a foot-lever and devices connected therewith have-been applied to engage the notched treadle-wheel located below the table, and to such organizations I lay no claim. I believe myself to be the first to provide a stop to be set or fixed by hand at the will of the attendant, acting directly and positively to lock the main shaft of the machine properthat is to say, the shaft by which the needle-bar is operated. This construction is advantageous, first, by reason of its extreme simplicity; second, that it permits the needle to be locked rigidly in its elevated position for threading or otherpurposes, or locked in its depressed position to prevent injury thereto; third, in that it permits the needle-shaft to be locked independently of the fiy-wheel thereon, so that the latter may be unlocked and permitted to run free, as is commonly done for the purpose of winding the thread upon the bobbin, and for other purposes. In my machine the locking of the needle-shaft is wholly-independent of the other parts of the machine.

My locking device is applicable to machines which are operated by hand, to those which are driven by foot-power or by motors, and to machines which have fiy-wheels adapted to be set free on the shaft.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. As an improvement in sewing-machines, the divided arm having its entire forward end with the head thereon journaled to revolve in a vertical plane on the remaining portion or arm proper, as described and shown, whereby convenient access may be given to the needle, and an increased space afforded beneath the arm for the insertion of the fabric.

2. In combination with a sewing-machine arm and a head j ournaled to revolve thereon, a ncedle-bar mounted in said head, and a driving-shaft extended through the journal and connected with the needlebar, substair. tially as described, whereby the head maybe revolved around the driving-shaft to present the needle-bar in difi'erent positions without disconnecting said bar from its actuating-shaft.

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination of the sustaining-arm, the rotary head journaled thereon to turn forward at the lower side, the needle-bar mounted in the head, and means, substantially as described, to lock the head when turned to present the needle toward the operator, whereby the needle may be secured in position to permit its convenient manipulation.

4. In combination with the sewing-machine 7c arm, the rotary head thereon, the needle-bar mounted in the head, and means, substantially as described, for locking the head inits operative position, and also for locking it when turned to present the needle to the operator.

5. As an improvement in sewing-machines, the combination of the arm and the independent head, one of said parts provided with the horizontal journal seated and arranged to rotate in a sleeve or bearing on the other part, as'described.

6. The combination of the arm and the rotary hollow head united by the journal and hub in rear of the head, as described,whereby the interior of the hub is left unobstructed.

7. In a sewing-machine, the combination of a sustaining-arm and a rotary head united by a journal secured to one of said parts, and adevice engaging the journal to lock the parts together. 9'3

8. In a sewing-machine, the combination of a sustaining-arm, a head journaled thereon and guiding the needle-bar, a needle-bar-opcrating shaft, and means for locking said shaft against rotation, whereby the needle may be fixed against reciprocation, so as to prevent injury thereto by the movement of the rotary head.

9. In a sewing-machine, the needle-bacopcrating shaft, in combination with the manual locking device, substantially as described, adapted to be' adjusted and fixed at will in direct engagement with the shaft.

10. In a sewing-machine, the combination of a needle-bar-operating shaft and a setscrew acting directly against the same,wherebythe shaft and needle may be secured in different positions.

11. In a sewing-machine, the combination of the arm having ajournal projecting from the end thereof, the arm-head having a corresponding sleeve or journal bearing, and means, substantially as described, for attaching and detaching the journal and bearing.

12. In a sewing-machine, the combination of the arm and head to carry the needle-bar .journaled on said arm, means for locking said parts together, and a needle-baroperating shaft passing through said journal and having free motion therein.

13. The combination of the arm, the rotary head thereon, the spring-locking device .to prevent the rotation of the head, and the independently-rotating collar to operate the locking device. I 12 5 14. In a sewing-machine, the arm and its rotary head, in combination with a springlocking device, and the rider to insure the action of said device.

15. In combination with the arm and the ro- I 0 tary head thereon, the spring to stop the head automatically in operative position, and the screw to lock the parts fir'mlyin position.

16. The combination of the arm, the springlocking device, the slotted rotary collar to release said device, and the device to lock the collar.

17. In a sewing-machine, the combination of the shuttle-operating mechanism, the needle-operating mechanism, and an intermediate clutch constructed, substantially as described, in two parts, adapted to interlock in,

one position only, whereby the operator is enabled to disconnect the needle and shuttle and to reconnect them instantly in the exact relations required.

18. The needle-operating shaft and theshuttle-operating cam thereon, in combination with the clutch-pin and its operating-collar,

ROBERT SMITH LOOKER.

Witnesses:

WM. H. ROWE, JAMES K. 1\/ICCATHRAN. 

